Extra! Extra! 'READ' All About it: Bucs Edition

Really fun to watch this offense and the difference in emphasis on certain play-calls between a Foles-run offense and a Vick-run offense. 

I started this weekly column about the read-option last week. Curious choice considering the read-option has been a huge componentof our offense under Vick, and this past weekend Foles was the starter. 

All that said, there was some read-option with Foles in the game, but perhaps not as much as one would think after an initial viewing of the game. I came away from the live feed thinking that we ran a ton of read-option. Reviewing the game a little bit closer, I came away thinking we only ran a couple of traditional 'read' pass/run options with Foles. In a lot of these plays, I believe the run or pass was called in the huddle.

However, one of the myths I hope to break with this blog, is that the "read-option" is not simply a QB keeper based on a read of the back-side defensive end. Too many people make this mistake including NFL accouncers on live TV. That is only one aspect of the read-option and we have seen tons of variations of it with Chip Kelly as I have highlighted on this blog. So far this year we have seen Chip have the QB read DEs, DTs, LBs, and even safeties. I bring this up because this played a huge component in how we attacked the Bucs last week. Our read-optioning was more in the form of packaged plays and pass/hand-off options vs. a QB keeper. In fact, I am not sure there was one call in the entire game where Nick was given the option to read and keep. There were plenty of delayed draws where we just had the OL block straight up man-on-man leaving no unblocked defender. 

Let's start by focusing some of our running plays:

Some of the talk leading up to last week was whether we would lose a lot in the running game with Vick out. The argument is that Vick opens up huge running lanes for McCoy. While I still believe there is an element of truth to this, we had a couple of big holes on the read-option look. One thing to note is that we used a fair amount of spread formations this past weekend. The idea is to spread the field, make the Bucs light in the middle and win the numbers game that way. Here we have 4 receivers split out and only 5 in the box. But note that McCoy is going to motion from the slot and into the backfield. On this play the LB highlighted in read is going to be the read:

Said LB is going to come on a blitz, unblocked. Foles reads him, and hands off to McCoy:

Check out the gaping hole that ensues:

Here's another one out of spread formation look. We run trips on the bottom of the screen. The Bucs have a 4 man box coverage over the trips formation. Bucs only have 5 men in the box, so this is a straight run. Again, the guy Foles is going to read is the LB in red. This is one of those packaged plays. 

But check out how much the LB bites on the playfake. That LB has a couple of things to think about. He needs to defend the run inside, keep his eye on Foles on the keeper, and there is a bubble screen developing on the bottom. Here we are at the mesh point and the LB has not moved from his initial position:

And here, the handoff has taken place, McCoy is running with the ball, but the LB still has not moved from his position and is staring down an empty-handed Foles. The OL does their job up front and McCoy has loads of room to run:

It appears there is some miscommunication along the OL on the next one. This actually looks like a designed read-option of either McCoy or Bowers. However Kelce looks confused on this play. To me, it appears that Kelce should pull and leave McCoy unblocked as the read. He then pulls to pick up Bowers as Mathis releases to get the LB at the second-level:

But for some reason, Kelce does not complete his pull and hesitate to stay on McCoy. Bowers pretty much comes through unblocked and blows up the play:

This one looks like a called run all the way. However, these are the type of scenarios I think Nick keeping on the read-option will work very well. Short yardage 3rd and 1. Looks like an inside zone read with Nick reading #52 who immediately is going to crash down the line after McCoy. Mason Foster also sells out on the run:

Check out the running room Nick has if he chooses to keep:

So either this was a called run all the way, or Nick made the wrong read. Fortunately, it worked either way, and we got the 1st down. 

Now let's switch over to the passing game. This is where you notice the change in philosophy with Nick vs. Michael. A lot of packaged passing plays built off the read-option. 

The first one is an outside zone read. Here Nick is going to be reading the LB as highlighted below. This is the old pop-pass play we've seen before. If the LB stays in the box, it's a pass, if he steps out to cover Ertz in this case, it's a hand-off. 

The LB stays in the box and Ertz gets wide open. It's strange, Nick is staring him down but just doesn't pull the trigger to a wide-open Ertz. One of only a few mistakes from Foles in this game:

The beauty of the All-22. here you can also see Jackson pulling the DB to the outside with the threat of the bubble screen:

Here is effectively, the exact same play. Setting up the bubble screen on the top, with an outside zone read with Foles reading the safety in coverage who has to space out to protect against the bubble. 

Note the LB keeps his nose in the box, and Ertz is once again about to come free: 

Ertz is wide-open but for whatever reason, Foles is hesitating. The ball needs to be out now:

Foles' hesitation costs the Eagles a completion as the safety closes and breaks up the play:

This is a nicely timed route combination built off the read option. Trips on the bottom of the screen, Desean will go to the flat, Riley will push the coverage down, and Avant is going to sneak into the spot vacated by Riley. 

However, the key aspect of this play is Foles' read of the LB again:

This is zone coverage so the DB takes Desean in the flat and LB takes Riley down the seam. This leaves a natural opening for Avant to sit in the vacancy in space:

Here's an inside zone read with a bubble-screen option at the top to Desean. Again a trips formation. The read is going to be the LDE in this case. If he comes to the backfield, this leaves more space for the bubble where there is a 3-2 matchup with a deep safety over the top. 

Nick makes the right read, Jackson is wide open with 2 blockers in front of him. 

It's 3rd and 10. As great as Desean has played this year, this is a bit of disappointing effort from him. The Desean I know has the speed to split those defenders up the middle for a chance at a first down. Instead he cuts it the outside to avoid contact and get out of bounds. In fairness to Desean there is only 12 seconds on the clock, so he might have had his heart set on getting out of bounds. But we are sitting on our own 35 with 2 timeouts in our pocket:

I am looking forward to the Dallas game. I must admit, I want to see more of Foles and see if he can duplicate his effort and even impove on a couple of mistakes he made. In the beginning of the Chip Kelly tenure, we thought we would see all kinds of exotic looks. He certainly has some of those in his tool kit, but for me, the astonishing this is that he by and large has revealed through 6 games a substantially small playbook however with a high variety of different options. As a defense, these teams are recognizing things they have seen on film from the week before, but the Eagles offense has by and large been one step ahead depending on how the defense reacts. 

It's the beauty of the read-option. The play call is based on how the defense reacts, which takes away a big part of the advantage a defense is supposed to gain through film study.